Safe soft items for toys

[JennS]

I am looking through this section and seeing toys that involve straws and other soft plastics.  My husband and I have always steered clear of toys with the shreddable plastics for fear our little ladies would swallow it.  Since Vannah has joined us we have continued to stay away from them.  I am wondering now if this is a bit of a mistake.  We give them all wood, paper, cardboard, and seagrass toys to shred. I guess the feeling has been that at least those items will somewhat digest because they are biodegradable.  There is nothing guiding our thinking other than our overly cautiousness.  I was also giving Vannah swatches of flannel and cotton rope (un dyed) to chew on, and she was working them over so well, she would have little strings at the corners of her mouth. She'd let me pull them away, but they also seemed to still be in her mouth, so now I am second guessing that as well.

Longish story I suppose. Quick questions... Has anyone had issues with their birds shredding, then swallowing the pieces from straws, plastic nuts/bolts, aglets on shoe laces, etc?  Does anyone here use fleece, flannel, loose rope or string in their bird toys? The only way I have been able to look for potentially swallowed parts is by gaging the amount of destruction and the debris field (never having been able to determine anything). Ideas anyone?

Paranoid bird mom (aka:JennS)

[Talon]

I give my parrots straw toys and lots of toys with soft plastic, they love tearing them apart. I have never seen my parrots eat anything other than paper. I personally don't worry about it as they seem to leave everything in sheds on the floor. They have zero interest in flannel or cloth.. I have toy buckets I fill in their cages once a week.  I fill them with (safe) broken toy pieces, wood, jingle balls etc. I take paper and wrap them individually and twist the ends. Fill their buckets with these things & they have fun chewing the paper off and destroying what they can.  SOmetimes I put in cheap toothbrushes or clean popsicle sticks also

[SRSeedBurners]

Ours tear the heck out of over-sized plastic straws.   We also have rope.   If my conure spots a shoe lace aglet it's toast.

 

[Timbersmom]

Timber shreds plastic and has since I've had him. One of his favorites is a straw from the convenience store. I've never seen him swallow any of it, and he's never had a medical issue over it.

[Greytness]

I don't give them plastic straws, but that's only because they pull them apart so quickly that there goes another toy in seconds flat. I prefer toys that take them awhile to work their ways through for the most part. I do give them sheets of blank cardboard to rip up daily.

My greys LOVE stainless steel toys. They especially love the three bells swinging perch. Mine will grab onto the bars to pull the swing as close as they can to the bars and then they let go so they can swing back and forth while ringing the bells. All three of mine do this! Frankly I think Maalik taught the others how to perfect this fun maneuver.

[SRSeedBurners]

We have the three bell swing too.  Huey has learned how to ring the bell for concierge service.   

[Greytness]

It's a pretty awesome toy. Fynn, unfortunately, performs his beaver maneuvers on the dowel piece so my son is always having to replace it for him. We've even tried vet wrapping the edges, but no shot.

[JennS]

Thank you everyone! This makes me feel a little more at ease about giving all of them these types of things.

What do you guys think about the foam toys?  I've seen some at the stores that look like they were made with craft foam or something.  I can see them pinching of pieces and rolling it in their beak.

I wish my girls liked swings! Piper has never liked them, and Dusty used to hang off of swinging toys, but not sit on a swing. Vannah is missing part of a toe on both feet, and hasn't shown much interest in swinging. After this egg thing is over, and I have time this summer, I want to spend some more time with her on getting her flying. I think that will help her confidence on her feet too.

[SRSeedBurners]

22 hours ago, Greytness said:

It's a pretty awesome toy. Fynn, unfortunately, performs his beaver maneuvers on the dowel piece so my son is always having to replace it for him. We've even tried vet wrapping the edges, but no shot.

I always replace those dowels with crepe myrtle branches.   Harder for them to destroy.

[Greytness]

Ooh! Excellent idea! TY!

[neoow]

I regularly spend loads of money on toys and Alfie still prefers a carboard box. 🤣

 

[Timbersmom]

Same here. Cardboard is Timber's drug of choice too. He does like his bells, other than that he's never really "taken" to anything I've purchased.